


With A Little Help From My Friends

by Huntress79



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Artist Steve Rogers, Bisexual Tony Stark, Getting Together, Multi, Mutual Pining, Polyamory, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, War Veteran Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29442021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: Tony loves Steve, who is (very) in love with Bucky. But Tony also loves Bucky. With two of them being apparently completely oblivious (hint: they are not XD) and one of them pining from afar, their common friends hatch a plan to get them together, once and for all.
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Tony Stark, Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau (mentioned), Clint Barton & Steve Rogers, Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes & Phil Coulson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Phil Coulson & Steve Rogers
Comments: 1
Kudos: 50
Collections: Stuckony Love Letters





	With A Little Help From My Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [MercurialMagpie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MercurialMagpie/pseuds/MercurialMagpie) in the [Stuckony_server_love_letters](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Stuckony_server_love_letters) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> short 1: "not exactly human anymore, are you(/am I)?"  
> short 2: "how could I choose? I love them both!"  
> long 1: A and B are this year's hot power couple. C is the sex worker turned sugar baby they are both falling for.  
> long 2: A is new to the kink scene. B is experienced and more than willing to help A learn. C is jealous, but of which one, and why?
> 
> all ratings are good, but I do like a good E rating...
> 
> Do not want: humiliation kink, MCD, gender swap  
> additional likes: Bucky baking, knitting, and/or fussing over Steve; "I'm not good with kids" but they totally are; teasing and rudeness as flirting

*********************

“Uh-oh.”

Darcy didn’t add anything to it, and yet, the way she said it was enough to attract Carol’s attention away from the coffee beans she just had got delivered.

“What’s up?” she asked, joining the student at the counter. Who only gave a sharp nod to the first booth next to the door, or better, the guy sitting in it.

Tony Stark.

Ever since Rhodey had introduced them at the academy, Tony and her were friends, and by now, the inventor, owner of probably the largest enterprise on the planet and media darling was part of pretty much every milestone Carol had passed. Her graduation at the academy, her wedding to Maria, almost every birthday of their daughter Monica - if he could help it, Tony was there, never asking for anyone returning the favor.

Which everyone did anyway. They all loved Tony, and made sure that he was and felt loved, in pretty much every aspect of the word.

And yet, the connection Carol and Tony had was somewhat different, akin to the one Tony and Rhodey had.

They both were the only child of their parents, and both had suffered from a cold, distant father in their childhood. That, along with the motormouth Tony was running on their very first meeting, was enough to build a friendship in Carol’s book, but over the years, other aspects were added.

“Darcy, take care of the other customers,” Carol finally said to the young brunette, “I’m gonna take care of Tones.”

“He seems… dejected, sad,” Darcy added with a glance at Tony, who still was hunched over his mobile. “I can give Sam a call, maybe he has some of his specials in store.”

Sam Wilson was only at first glance just a baker. On a second glance, one would learn that you would get free advice on almost everything with the goods he and his husband Riley cooked up in the kitchen area of the bakery down the street.

“Sure, just keep in mind…,” Carol began, only to be stopped by her employee.

“...not to order anything with peanuts. I know, boss, he doesn’t like them,” the younger woman finished with a smile before heading over to where Stan, one of their regulars, had sat down at the bow of the counter.

Carol couldn’t help but smile at Darcy’s back. She had good employees, each one of them. Grabbing the coffee pot, along with two cups, she finally made her way over to Tony’s booth. But the fact that the man in question didn’t even react in any way to her sitting down opposite him, filling both cups with coffee and pusing one almost under his nose set off all alarm bells in Carol’s mind.

“Earth to Tones?” she finally asked, worry lacing her voice.

Tony blinked a couple of times, as if he was just waking up (or returning to his body from an out-of-body experience).

“Hey, Carol? What are you doing here?”

“Funny thing for you to ask, since you are sitting in a booth in _my_ coffee shop.”

Years in the military had Carol taught to almost always look for any kind of injury, but even after the second once-over, she couldn’t find (to her immense relief) one on her friend.

“Checking me out, Danvers?” Tony quipped after taking a first sip of the coffee. “Maria’s no longer enough for you, huh?”

“Oh, shush.” Carol gave Tony a slight slap on his arm. “I was just checking for any injuries.” She took a sip of her own coffee. “Wanna talk about it?”

“About what?”

“About what makes you slouch in here, giving an air as if all the bad things happen on this planet have happened to you, not realizing where you are, or who’s sitting down opposite you - take a pick, Tony.”

Said man heaved a sigh, and for a hot minute, Carol was worried that her longtime friend had gotten a bad diagnosis or something like that.

“Say, Carol,” he finally began, locking his brown eyes with hers, “ever been in love with someone who’s already in a relationship with someone else?”

“Oh, Tones,” Carol replied with a sigh of her own. “No, not that I can remember.”

“And that’s not even the worst thing about it,” the inventor continued. “Turns out I’m truly doomed, cause I also happen to be in love with the other half of that pairing.”

“Damn,” was all Carol could respond, since she was out of her wit.

Darcy, with her impeccable timing, used exactly that moment to place two plates in front of them, both with a selection of Sam’s latest creation - miniature cakes.

“Sam sends his greetings,” the brunette said before sashaying back to the counter and her animated talk to Stan.

“Okay,” Carol spoke up, “let’s see what this is all about,” she gestured to the plates, “and let’s see what we can do about that dilemma of yours.”

“Yes to the first, but definitely no to the second part, Carol. I mean it,” Tony added when he saw Carol opening her mouth to protest. “These two are, for the lack of a better word, perfect, in every meaning, and even if you don’t know them, you instantly know they are in love when you see them.” He sighed again. “I know how much my mom suffered from Howard’s infidelity, so I made the resolution to never, ever become a home-wrecker, or get between an existing pairing.”

“You know how sad that sounds?” Carol said around a bite.

“I know, but trust me, it’s the best, for all parties involved.”

*********************

Over in Brooklyn, Clint and Phil Coulson, married owners of “Lucky’s Diner”, were faced with a similar situation. With the only differences that (a) they had run out of any sweets barely an hour after opening, and (b) both Steve and Bucky were determined to keep their mouths shut about what was really troubling them.

“You know,” Clint began while following Phil into the small office, “I could give Kate a call, let her bring Lucky around.”

“I actually was thinking the same, but I think we need more reinforcements. Both on the animal and on the sweets front,” Phil replied with a sigh.

“Nat and her hellfire of a cat? No way, darling,” Clint countered, giving a light shudder for emphasis.

“No, of course not. I was thinking about Daisy and one of her therapy cats.”

“That actually could work, especially if she can bring Alpine around,” Clint surmised with a nod. “From what I have heard, Bucky has taken a liking to the Persian,” he added with a conspirational tone.

“Have I ever told you that I love the way your brain works?” Phil asked.

“Not today,” Clint replied with a wink before stealing a kiss from his husband. “Okay, you call the girls, and I send Peter down to the corner store for some emergency shopping.”

*********************

Half an hour later, “Lucky’s Diner” was closed for the public, even though both Lucky and Alpine were well-trained to “work” in these settings. But sadly, not every customer took well to having either a Labrador-Retriever mix or a white Persian cat running around freely, and so, closing for the time being was the lesser of two evils.

Diferent to Lucky, who, after an initial sniff at both Steve and Bucky’s hands, opted for re-exploring the whole diner first, Alpine almost broke out of her traveling cage to get to her (second) favorite human, which of course caused everyone present to at least chuckle at her antics.

“Daisy, you didn’t have to do that,” Bucky said while snuggling the cat. “Not that I’m not happy to see both of you.”

“I would probably be the world’s worst therapist if I wouldn’t respond to a call stating one of my patients is in distress,” the young woman replied. “Besides, I didn’t have to do anything. The moment I said your name, Al all but jumped into the box herself,” she added with a smile. “And who I am to be a roadblock in that epic love story?”

“Ha, ha, Daisy,” Steve threw in, “you seem to forget that Buck’s heart IS already taken.” The blond puffed out his chest, albeit in a slightly threatening manner, but the smile and wink he gave Daisy derailed the attempt completely.

“Technically,” Bucky shot back while Alpine arranged herself on his lap, “there’s enough place in both of our hearts for each other AND these two guys,” he first pointed at the cat, then at Lucky lying at Steve’s feet. “And where does he fit in?” He raised an eyebrow at Steve. “Don’t tell me you just faked it all?”

“Oookay, that’s my cue,” Daisy spoke up, already halfway to the door, “I’m not a couple therapist, so good luck!” The last part was directed Clint and Phil, who only shook their heads while watching the young woman leave.

“Okay,” Clint began while turning a chair from a table nearby around and sitting down,” spill the beans, boys. Who is he? And why are you both so secretive about it?”

“We are not,” Steve began to protest, “it’s just…”

“For Heaven’s sake, Stevie, stop beating around the bush,” Bucky exclaimed with a sigh. “Look, it’s our boss. Up until last week, he was just my boss, but now that Steve here also got a job there, he’s the boss of both of us.”

“And he’s a walking wet dream,” Steve added, a blush creeping up his neck.

“That too,” Bucky agreed. “Our problem is (a) we don’t think he even knows we exist; (b) we don’t know if he’s even interested in guys; (c) even if he was, neither of us would be good enough for him, let alone us together.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Clint held a hand up to stop them. “First off - what the heck are you talking about? I mean, okay, I’m a human disaster, but even I would never, ever say I’m not good enough for someone.”

“I remember you saying differently back when you first met Phil,” Bucky countered with a smile.

“Yeah, but I know better now. And I also would sign anything stating that the two of you are probably the finest two guys I’ve ever met.”

“Me too,” Phil added with a nod.

“So stop telling yourself that crap and go for that guy. Who is it, by the way?”

“Tony Stark,” Steve grounded out, accompanied with an air of defeat.

“The Tony Stark?” Phil echoed, his eyebrows going up.

“Yup, the one and only,” Bucky added.

“I happen to know both his CEO and her husband quite well. If you want, I can…”

“No!” both men shouted, and it was a testament to their training that neither Alpine nor Lucky reacted to it in any way. Alpine grabbed Bucky’s hand with her paws and began to playfully nip on his fingers, and Lucky only let his tail hit the floor twice in a quick manner, as if he wanted to tell everyone to keep quiet.

“No,” Steve repeated, but with his usual soft voice. “As we said before, we don’t even know if he is interested in guys in general, and if you ask around, it will reach him at some point. And he’s probably clever enough to put 2 + 2 together and realize that it has to do with either of us.”

“Okay,” Phil said, raising his hands in surrender. “But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me.”

*********************

At long last, Steve and Bucky went home, with a little detour to deliver Alpine back to Daisy. But while they were on their way back to their apartment, Phil, Clint and Peter put their heads together.

“Mr. Coulson,” Peter began, “I’m sorry if I cross some unspoken line here, but I would like to help Steve and Bucky with their ‘problem’.”

“No, no, you don’t, Peter,” Phil reassured their young employee. “What do you have in mind?”

“I.... I happen to know Mr. Stark personally.” Both Phil and Clint fixed the teenager with a look. “End of last year, my class made a field trip to both Stark Tower and SI Headquarters. And as you know, I’m pretty smart, and somehow, I caught Mr. Stark’s attention. He’s kind of tutoring me ever since then.”

“First off - Peter, that’s great!” Clint exclaimed, grabbing the young man by the shoulder and giving it an encouraging shake. “Both Phil and me have noticed that you’re, as you said yourself, quite smart, and with Stark on your case, I bet you’ll be off to MIT or another fancy college in no time.”

“Yeah, he already has mentioned getting me into MIT, but I told him, if I get accepted there, it’s because of my intelligence, not because of who’s tutoring or mentoring me,” Peter replied.

“Nice move, Peter,” Phil said with a smile at the young man. “So, if I know you well enough, you wouldn’t mention all of that if you wouldn’t have a little tidbit of info in your backhand, right?”

Peter’s first reaction was to blush in a deep shade of red. But he recovered quickly, giving Phil a nod.

“I actually do. And I know, I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but then again, I’m not at fault that Mr. Stark forgets I’m at the other side of the door.”

“What did you hear?” Clint asked, placing a cup of hot cocoa in front of Peter.

“I think it was Col. Rhodes, his best friend, with him. And he was complaining that he was ceasing all attempts at dating women at all, after someone called Sunset had dumped him. I couldn’t quite catch what Col. Rhodes replied, but Mr. Stark gave a dry laugh and said, and I quote, ‘good thing that I’m bisexual’.” He took a sip from the beverage before continuing. “I also know that he sometimes goes to a coffee shop named ‘The Looping’.”

“Carol,” was the only reaction from both Phil and Clint, and for a moment, Peter was left confused.

“Who?”

“Carol Danvers, owner of the coffee shop,” Phil began. “From what I have heard, her and Tony are friends since her days at the Air Force Academy, most likely thanks to Col. Rhodes.” He turned to Peter, giving the teenager a smile. “Peter, thanks for sharing your info with us. And don’t worry. We will never, ever tell anyone where we got them in the first place.”

“I’m not worried, Mr. Coulson, not at all,” Peter replied while getting up. “I always had a fancy for superheroes, and my Uncle Ben once told me that my brain was my superpower. That it was my very personal key to the world. And he also gave me the advice 'with great power comes great responsibility’, so I consider this, using my brain for helping friends to happiness, as being just as responsible as getting grades good enough to get me into any college I want.” He went over to the row of lockers, grabbing his jacket and putting it on. “Have a good evening, Sirs.” And before either Phil or Clint could come up with anything, the teenager was out of the door and on his way to his home in Queens.

“Remarkable young man,” Phil concluded.

“Absolutely,” Clint added. “And very smart, almost cunning.”

*********************

A couple of days later, after having to listen to three adult men complaining about the unfairness of life and love one time too much, both Carol and Phil made a decision - they had to do something about it, and the sooner, the better.

Carol had not only learned more about the two guys Tony was smitten with, she also knew now, thanks to Rhodey, that, like Tony, they were regulars at a food-related business. And so, she found herself standing in front of “Lucky’s Diner” early in the morning.

“Oh, hey!” A young woman holding the leash to a Labrador-Retriever mix came up to her. “It’s already open, but knowing the owners, one of them needs an unhealthy dose of coffee in his system to be halfway to resembling a common human being,” both women chuckled at that, “and the other is probably lost in the world of numbers. So, once the clock hits 8, they turn the key, even if they forget to turn the small sign as well.”

With that, the young woman stepped up the two small steps to the door, ushered the dog inside, and motioned to Carol to come in as well.

“Phil!” she shouted while rounding the counter, “first customer is in!”

“Coming, Kate!” a voice replied, and moments later, a man with sandy-blonde hair, a purple shirt and black sport pants came out into the main room. “Oh, hi!” He said in Carol’s direction. “Sorry for keeping you waiting. Have a seat, I’ll grab you our breakfast menue.”

Carol did as told, though she had to fight the urge to smile constantly. It was nice to see this side of the business for a change.

“Here you go,” the man said, putting a laminated piece of paper on the table in front of her, along with a coffee cup. “Coffee will be up in a minute, just needs to finish brewing first.”

“No hurry, Clint,” Carol replied, and as expected, the man gave her a quizzical look. “You wonder how I know your name, right?” Clint nodded, placing the almost empty coffee pot on a table nearby. “I’m Carol Danvers,...”

“...owner of the ‘The Looping’ over in Manhattan, and one of Tony Stark’s best friends,” Clint finished for her.

“And the woman I was just about to give a call,” Phil Coulson took over, coming out of the back office and up to the two. “Phil Coulson, but I assume you already know that too.”

“You’re right, and I think it’s time to bundle our forces and put an end to a common misery,” Carol replied with a conspirational smile.

“Finally,” Clint shot back good-natured. “I’m not sure if I can survive another day of them sitting here and complaining.”

“Me neither, that’s why I’m here. And I think I already have an idea on how to make our lives easier.”

*********************

By the time lunchtime rolled around, they had a solid plan, and Carol was heading back to Manhattan, feeling somewhat giddy. It was high on time in her opinion that she “paid” Tony back for everything he had done for her over the years, and if that meant she helped him to finally find true happiness, then so be it.

Parking in the alley behind her coffee shop, Carol pulled out her phone, scrolling down to the entry labeled “Youknowhoiam”.

Barely two rings later, Tony’s voice came out of the phone.

“Carol, to what do I deserve this call? Not that I’m not happy to hear your voice, no matter what time of the day.”

“Always the charming one, Tones,” Carol teased back before heaving a sigh. “And I know that you’re already looking forward to having your late lunch at my shop, but I’m afraid that won’t happen today.”

“What’s going on, Carol? Anything I can help with?”

“No, it’s just everything’s falling together. My old hip injury is flaring up like a bonfire since yesterday, which means I can’t move around that well.” She heard Tony giving an affirmative sound. “Monica’s coming down with something, has been cranky half of last night and all morning, and on top of that, my lovely wife is PMSing.”

“Oh dear!” Tony exclaimed. “Well, maybe I can pull around some meetings…”

“Don’t even think about it, Stark,” Carol interrupted. “The shop will survive being closed for a day or two, and while I wouldn’t dare to recommend any of the other coffee shops in the neighbourhood, I’ve heard about a nice little diner over in Brooklyn that might be up your alley.”

“But it’s in Brooklyn…,” Tony whined.

“Maybe not so bad after all. First off, you get out of the workshop for more than the twenty minutes you spend here at my place, and second, from what I’ve heard, the coffee there is almost as good as mine.”

Of course, Carol had left some hints about Tony’s coffee preferences with Phil and Clint, and she spoke the truth about the coffee itself. She was even inclined to have a second, more business-like talk to their barista, a redhead named Natasha Romanov, about her secret recipe.

“You trust me, Tony, right?”

“What a question is that, Danvers? Of course I do, and you know that. You’re one of the few I trust with my life.”

“Always good to hear an affirmation, Tony. Anyway, what I wanted to say is, you know I wouldn’t recommend something to you that I wouldn’t do myself as well.”

“Okay, you got me, Birdy,” the billionaire admitted with a laugh. “Just text me the address. But you owe me coffee for the rest of the month if I don’t like it there.”

“Deal, but I’m sure you will like it there.”

Before Tony could say anything else, Carol hung up, a satisfied smile spreading on her face. Time to do some shopping and spend the day with her girls.

*********************

Lunchtime usually meant full house over at “Lucky’s Diner”, and today was no exception to that rule. Most of the tables were already filled when first Steve and Bucky came into the diner, sitting down at the last open booth.

A couple of minutes later, Tony wandered in, but neither Steve nor Bucky took notice of him right away.

“Hey buddy!” Tony exclaimed when all of a sudden, Lucky came out of the back office, curious and eager as ever to meet new people.

“Lucky, back down!” Clint ordered, but what Tony didn’t know was that Lucky knew not to follow that order immediately. Instead, the dog flopped down in front of Tony, presenting his belly and asking for pats and scratches.

“I’m sorry, Sir, he’s usually not that way around new people,” Clint got out, but Tony just gave him a wave of hand.

“Don’t worry. While I didn’t grew up with dogs, some of my friends had one later on, so I’m used to them. And he’s too adorable to be mad at him in the first place.” Right on cue, Lucky let his tongue loll out. “Oh yes, you are adorable, buddy.”

From their booth, Steve and Bucky followed the whole scene with their eyes wide open. Not only that Tony, their common crush, was here of all places, he also was good with animals. Sure, Lucky was the most easy-going dog on the whole planet, but still, they both made a mental note about it anyway.

At long last, Lucky had apparently milked Tony’s affection enough for the day, got up and went back to the small office. Tony, feeling somewhat bereft, got out of the crouch and leaned on the counter.

“Okay, my friend,” he said in Clint’s direction, “I’m new to this place. What can you recommend?”

“Oh, first off, I recommend you get a seat, Sir.” Clint gave the whole diner a once-over for effects. “Not many seats left, common for lunchtime here, but I can ask these two fellas over there,” he pointed to the booth with Steve and Bucky, “if it’s okay with them to share the booth with you.”

Tony followed Clint’s finger - and froze. No, he had to get out of here, like right now. He just couldn’t sit there, share a booth with them, and NOT give himself, or better, his rather pathetic pining after both of them, away.

“Do you guys offer takeaway as well?” he asked instead.

“No, sorry. We tried, back when we opened the place, but apparently, it didn’t work out,” Clint replied, an apologetic expression on his face.

“Ah, well…,” Tony began, only to be interrupted by Bucky appearing next to him.

“Mr. Stark?” Bucky asked, his voice laced heavily with surprise.

“As they say, in the flesh, Buckaroo,” Tony retorted, trying to give the other man a smile.

“You can sit with us, if you want,” Bucky offered. “Steve and I just got here a bit ahead of you, so if you’re quick with your order, we can eat together.”

Clint, standing to the side and watching it all unfold, had to bite his tongue and clench his hands. He wasn’t a violent man, thanks to his childhood, but he was willing to smash Bucky and Tony’s faces together to get them realize what was really going on.

“I hope the sprinklers won’t start working with these two,” Natasha suddenly spoke up next to him in a hushed tone, carrying two plates with cheese burgers. “I would hate for both my hair AND my work to get wet.”

For emphasis, Natasha passed Bucky in a manner where she just couldn’t help but give the man a slight check in the ribs with her elbow.

“Oh, sorry,” she apologized. “But you were blocking my way, Yasha.”

“Then the sorry’s on me, Natalia,” Bucky replied before ushering Tony over to his and Steve’s booth. Natasha, while delivering her plates to a couple sitting some tables down from the trio, turned to Clint and gave him a wink.

*********************

For some reasons he couldn’t really explain, Tony ended up on the inner side of the booth, with Bucky and Steve sitting at both his sides (and therefore, blocking both his exits).

“So, Mr. Stark,” Bucky began, “what brings you here to this diner in the first place?”

“First off, we’re not on the clock right now, so you can call me Tony, and second, it was a recommendation from a friend. Funny enough, she owns a coffee shop, which I usually go to for lunch, but unfortunately, she had to close it today for personal reasons.”

“Ah, that’s always a pity,” Steve spoke up. “But you will see Phil and Clint are most likely just as good in every aspect as your friend’s shop.”

“I hold you both to that,” Tony challenged. “So, anything you can recommend to eat here?”

“Sure,” Bucky agreed. “You do like cheese burgers, right?” Tony gave him a nod, wondering how on Earth his new Head of Security knew that. “I’m not exaggerating when I tell you they serve the best in the tri-state area here.” Bucky turned around and got Clint’s attention. “Clint, Tony wants a taste of your CB!”

“Three CB coming up!” Clint replied before heading back to the kitchen.

“You know these guys a bit better, right?” Tony asked.

“Yup,” Steve admitted. “Clint was part of our team back in the war. Next to Buck the best sharpshooter a team leader could ask for. Hardly ever missed at all.”

“And one hell of a cook on top of that,” Bucky added. “We stayed in contact afterwards, and…”

“...hold on, Bucky,” Tony threw in, his eyes trained on the large wall mural right opposite them. “Is that one of your works, Steve?”

“Yeah, it is. I… I know, it’s a bit tacky and cliché…”

“Stop right there, Blondie. First off, that,” Tony pointed at the mural, “is not tacky at all, it’s an absolutely beautiful work of art. And I have seen my share of so-called artworks that can’t even hold the tip of a small candle to it.”

Steve blushed - sure, he was proud of the mural, but until now he never got such a praise for it.

“And second, would you mind making one for the tower lobby as well?” Tony added, and for a moment, Steve had trouble to hear the offer over the rush in his ears.

“Are you serious?” he finally got out, and one look at Bucky opposite him told him that his partner had trouble to believe it as well.

“As a heart attack,” Tony replied. “Look, Steve, I knew when I hired you for the Marketing crew that you were, like, the ‘talent of the century’, able to work with pretty much every medium, but I never would have thought that you could pull off something like that.”

“I… I just like to work with colors, that’s all,” Steve said with a shrug. “And yeah, I think I can make one for the Tower lobby. I’ll see to have some ideas for you by the end of next week, okay?”

“Whenever it works for you, Steve, we have time for that project. The Tower, and everyone inside, will survive waiting for it.”

Right that moment, Natasha placed their food on the table, and for the next few minutes, the booth was silent, only a few barely decent moans around a bite could be heard.

True to Bucky’s earlier words, the burger turned out to be the best Tony ever had eaten in his whole life, and for a hot moment, he allowed himself to relax, both his body and his brain, and just enjoy his meal.

Which didn’t last very long, cause while Tony was still making his way through his plate, Natasha swapped those of Steve and Bucky for new ones, a new burger sitting on it.

“What the…?” Tony asked, his eyes glued to the plates.

“Oh, sorry, Tony,” Steve began. “We… we can ask Clint or Natasha to pack them up.”

“It’s just… ever since we came back from the warzone, we have a higher calorie intake than other people,” Bucky added. “Clint, Phil and most of the regulars are used to it, and I admit we forgot that you didn’t know that. For that, I’m sorry, and I understand if that makes you running for the proverbial hills.”

“Oh, not at all,” Tony finally recovered. “I was just surprised, that’s all. Though in hindsight, it’s absolutely clear. All those muscles,” he gestured first to Bucky’s, then to Steve’s impressive upper arms, “don’t come from nothing. So by all means, dig in. Can’t have you faint in the lobby, can I? Wouldn’t make that much of a good image for the Head of Security,” he added with a wink, and to his joy, Bucky returned the wink.

“Nope,” Steve added, “besides, I would never let him live that one down, ever.”

“Honey, you wound me,” Bucky exclaimed, placing a hand over his heart in fake hurt.

“Steve, you’re a bad boy,” Tony took over with a smile.

“Always was, always will be,” the blonde replied with another shrug. “I’m pure blood Irish, so being stubborn to a fault is in my DNA.”

“Wouldn’t believe it any other way,” Tony shot back before turning to Bucky. “I bet you could tell a story or two about this guy, right? If I remember correcly, you two were friends long before becoming lovers.”

“Yup, but most of these stories are no fit for the public at all,” Bucky replied.

Steve’s phone started to ring that moment, and somehow, it broke the spell over their booth. The three men finished their lunch in almost silence, with only Steve telling them that he had to go ahead back to the office, as a business partner of SI had moved up the starting of an online meeting and he had to get prepared for that.

“Well,” Tony began a few minutes after Steve had left, “if you want, I can give you a lift, Bucky. Happy wouldn’t mind at all.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, Tony. I can take the subway as well,” Bucky replied.

“Buckaroo, would I offer it if it were too much trouble in the first place? No. Besides, the subway, as useful as it is, it’s also prone to be late. And you’re one of the key elements at the Tower. Can’t have you running late.”

“He also could borrow my bike,” Clint offered from the counter. “And bring it back here tomorrow.”

“You have a bike?” Tony echoed. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“That he is,” Bucky added with a smile. “Thanks for the offer, Clint, but no.” He put a hand on his left shoulder. “Not sure if I can hold it steady in the midday traffic.”

“Understandable, man. Wait a moment.” Clint vanished into the back, only to return a moment later with two small containers in his hand. “You remember that?”

“Of course I do. Thanks, man, I owe you.” Bucky grabbed the two containers and placed into his messenger bag before heading out of the diner.

Tony followed, and for the life of him, he couldn’t quite figure the other man out. Bucky Barnes was a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and damn, did he want to unwrap it all.

“Hey, Buck,” he said when he caught up to his employee. “What was that all about?”

“GSW to the shoulder on the last week of our tour. Almost got me killed, if not for Clint and Morita, our medic,” Bucky told him. “Still gives me trouble once in a while. And these containers,” he patted the bag, “are filled with one of the few things that make it easier.”

Happy pulled up to the curb that moment, giving Bucky a nod before ushering them both into the car.

“You know that we have a whole R & D department for all things medical at SI?” Tony asked once they were seated.

“I do, but I don’t want to impose. Look, Tony, I feel honored, but I’ve been raised on the belief that medications, treatments and such should be available to everyone. And I know that once you got the green light from whatever office, you make sure that it happens. But even with that in mind, I can’t help but feeling kind of taking advantage of being your employee. And I just can’t do that. Sorry.”

“Don’t be, Bucky,” Tony replied, while mulling over the other man’s words. And of course, his genius brain came up with a solution that would work for more than just Bucky.

“I have an idea, and please hear me out,” Bucky gave a nod. “You have met Dr. Banner, head of the Medical R & D?” Another nod. “Bruce and I are long-time friends, and there isn’t a week or so going by where he doesn’t come into my office, complaining how hard it is to get test subjects for this study or that one.”

“You want to get me into one of these studies?”

“Bingo. Yeah, it would kill two metaphorical birds with one stone - you would have access to better pain medicine, and in return Bruce and his team have a test subject that would give them some feedback. Believe me when I say I have heard of people signing up for these studies, grabbing the freebies and be gone for good.”

“That’s horrible,” Bucky replied. “And yeah, I totally could give them feedback, as much as they want.”

“Then we have a deal,” Tony said with a grin. “Let’s see if Bruce has a slot free this afternoon.” He fished his mobile out of a pocket and tapped the display a few times. “Hey, Bruciebear, it’s me. You mind if my Head of Security and I drop by at some point this afternoon?”

Bucky couldn’t hear the other man’s reply, but judging by Tony’s smile, it was a good one.

“That’s great, and stop worrying, Bruce.” The other man said something. “I know, I know, it’s part of your very special charm to worry about anyone and anything, but just humor me, for once, will you?” Another pause. “Great! See you later!”

For a litle while, Bucky didn’t say a word, only kept shooting glances at Tony. And even the best man can take only so much.

“What’s wrong, Buckaroo?”

“Why? Why are you doing this all? Giving me a lift back to work, offering to get me into the medical studies immediately, when others wait eons for a slot? Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, heck, even more than that. I just want to understand your motives.”

“Another of those things you’ve been raised on? That every good deed someone does to you must have a reason, or an ulterior motive?”

Bucky only nodded. He knew it was on the edge of crazy, but he couldn’t help himself. If nothing else, he had to save himself, and subsequently, Steve from any potential heartbreak.

“Alright, here goes nothing. Yeah, I have a motive for all that. A very simple one. I can’t stand seeing people around me suffering and NOT do anything about it, if I can. You probably remember all the questions about your financial situation during your job interview?” Bucky gave another nod. “It’s not because we want to snoop around or exploit it at some point, no, it’s to make sure you can live with your salary, maybe even manage to save a bit of it. And that’s just one way of me helping the people who work for me. Getting you into the medical studies is another one.”

“Call me a Doubtful Thomas or whatever, but why do I get the feeling that there’s more to that all than meets the eye?” Bucky challenged.

Tony heaved a sigh. Dang it, but that man was good, seeing through his fancy words as if they didn’t exist at all. No wonder he had fallen for him the moment Bucky came into the conference room for his job interview.

“Kudos, Mr. Barnes, now you have officially impressed me.”

“How’s that?”

Tony inched closer, but still with enough distance between them that Bucky wouldn’t feel crowded or harrassed at all.

“Because you saw through my first line of reasons like they weren’t even there.”

“So there are more reasons?”

“Just one, and while I’m willing to tell it to you, I also understand if you don’t want any close contact to me above the necessary afterwards.”

“Come on, Tony, it can’t be that bad. Just spill it, and let me decide how I feel about it, okay?”

“Okay,” Tony said before taking a deep breath. “I also do that all because I’m absolutely and utterly in love with you, Bucky. But you already have Steve…”

He didn’t get any farther, mostly because Bucky started to laugh so hard that his whole body was shaking.

“What the heck is so funny, Barnes? I bare my soul to you, so to speak, and you laugh into my face!”

“Sorry, Tony, but you are the funniest thing. Rest assured, I also realized that both Stevie and I are the biggest idiots under the sun.”

“Why?”

“Because we thought we were not good enough for you to even notice us, let alone realize that we are, as you put it, just as smitten with you as you are apparently with me.”

“And with Steve,” Tony added, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I don’t want to be a home-wrecker, Bucky, and if that means I can never, ever have any of you, then so be it.”

“Bullshit,” Bucky shot back. “Ever heard the term ‘polyamory’? Well, let me tell you that both Stevie and I are very open to this particular agreement, and I think that you would fit perfectly in with us, Tony.”

Via the comm, Happy announced that they were pulling into the private parking garage beneath the Tower.

“What do you say?” Bucky suggested. “Dinner night tomorrow at our place. You can think about everything a bit, Steve and I will do the same, and tomorrow evening, we will talk it out, see where it leads us. And don’t worry, while we are both ready and willing for something more permanent, we can definitely work with your conditions.”

“Okay, okay, that’s a great idea,” Tony finally got out, his mind having caught up. “I’m gonna check my schedule, but there shouldn’t be a problem. At least nothing that can’t be postponed a bit.”

“Good, and Tony?” Bucky replied, all of a sudden very close to Tony’s face. “Can I kiss you?”

Now it was Tony’s turn to laugh.

“Of course you can. I might say no to getting things handed, but I’ll never say no to a kiss.”

*********************

_Epilogue - A year later_

“Mr. Stark!” one of the many journalists at the opening ceremony for this year’s Stark Expo yelled at the man in question. “Is it true that you are in a relationship with two of your employees?”

Tony took a deep breath, his eyes searching the crowd until they landed first on Bucky, then on Steve. Good thing that he had them prepared pretty much from the start of their relationship for moments like this.

“And?” he finally challenged the reporter. “As far as I know, there’s no law against it here in New York State. And you all know that it wouldn’t be the first time that a Stark bended or broke a law.” Some of the audience let out a chuckle. “But truth be told - yes, I am in a poly relationship. I won’t give you any details, but just know that I love them both unconditionally, just like they love each other and me unconditionally.”

“So, is it what certain circles call a triad? Or a V-shaped one?” another reporter called out.

“A triad,” Tony replied. “All three of us are in a relationship with each other, and don’t even think about asking me to choose between them. I can’t, and I won’t, ever. I love them both, with all my heart. Thank you!”

With that, Tony was turning away from the crowd of journalists, or as Bruce called them once, “vultures with cameras and microphones,” towards to where the two halves of his soul, of his heart, were waiting in the shadows.

*********************

The End

*********************

**Author's Note:**

> written for Stuckony Love Letters and MercurialMagpie. I’m using several of your ideas here, but mainly the line “how could I choose? I love them both!”. Set in a non-power AU. Title borrowed from a Beatles song. Hope you like it. Enjoy!


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